Jorge Martinez On How Aspar Discovered Moto3 World Champion Izan Guevara
For several years the Aspar structure proved to be a terrific supplier of ever-new top talents in Moto3. World Champion Izan Guevara is one of the many discoveries.
With several teams in junior classes and the lower classes of the World Championship, team boss Jorge Martinez’ “Aspar” structure is one of the biggest in the paddock.
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In his junior academy, the Spaniard supports more than 100 talents, many of whom are highly successful.
Martinez dominates the Junior World Championship with his protégés almost at will. Raul Fernandez won the Junior World Championship in 2018, Izan Guevara in 2020. In 2021, now-Moto3 rider Dani Holgado secured the title.
Thanks to the extensive support of the academy, which will soon include its own race track near Valencia, many of the young racers also find their way into the Grand Prix circuit.
Just last season, Aspar youngster Izan Guevara won the Moto3 world title. Jorge Martinez explains to SPEEDWEEK.com how he discovered next season’s Moto2 rookie.
“I saw him for the first time in 2019. He rode in the “Cuna de Campeones” series, in which the riders ride Moto4 pre-GP bikes.”
Although the 11-time Moto3 race winner did not win the junior championship in 2019, Martinez was excited by the young Spaniard’s riding style and performance.
“I signed him straight away, his talent and performance on the track caught my eye straight away. He is a huge talent. Indescribable.”
However, Martinez did not discover Guevara; the new team manager and former Grand Prix rider Nico Terol was more responsible for that.
“Our previous riding coach Nico Terol, who is now the new team manager instead of Gino Borsoi, always visited all the junior championships in Spain and watched the riders. That’s how we discovered Izan.”
The young Spaniard moves up to the Moto2 team in the Aspar structure for the new season thanks to his World Championship title. There he will be the new teammate of Jake Dixon, who Jorge Martinez believes will fight for the title in 2023.
For Guevara, the coming season is likely to be a year of adjustment. Despite the obviously huge amount of talent, an impact in the Moto2 class like last year in Moto3 is rather unlikely.
